Category: News

It didn’t bode well that the predicted flooding in Lowestoft and along the East Coast was scheduled for Friday 13th.

The previous day we were asked for volunteers to crew our pump as part of the Fire Service response to any flooding in the North of Lowestoft.

Plans were already underway in Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex to draft in additional resources from other Fire and Rescue Services across the country as part of the National Resilience capability.

Our first stint on standby at North Lowestoft Fire Station ran from 0800-1200 on Friday to cover the first high tide of the day. We were joined by a water rescue team made up of off-duty wholetime firefighters from Lowestoft South Fire Station.

A similar set up was in force south of the river with the duty watch providing another water rescue team with support from the on call firefighters at Lowestoft South.

The morning’s high tide passed without incident and we headed home to grab some grub and wait till we were next required at 1800 hours.

The evening high tide, at 2145, would be higher than the earlier one with the added factor of a strengthening wind. This was the one that was causing most concern.

As the day progressed more and more water rescue teams and their support crews were arriving at holding points in Suffolk to await orders on where they would be positioned for the high tide.

When we arrived on station we found out that we would be joined by the Water Rescue Unit and Command Support Unit from Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service (WRU from Fareham and CSU from Eastleigh).

The guys looked a tad shell-shocked to be this far ‘up North’ but soon settled in, waiting for the call.

Newmarket took the two hour drive to Lowestoft to provide fire cover in the North of the town as we would be providing support to our own water rescue team.

And not to forget two volunteers from 4×4 Response – at the disposal of the emergency services to ferry people through flooding.

Our little one pump station played host to around 30 people (not forgetting our Ambulance Service colleagues). Every chair was taken, floor spaces were littered with equipment and people and the air was filled with chatter and plenty of banter – wouldn’t be the Fire Service without the banter…

Just before high tide was due we led a small procession of vehicles into town to the now closed Bascule bridge and down Commercial Road. We were giving the Hampshire guys a tour of likely locations they’d be working in and it gave us a chance to inspect the water level.

Then down to the Wherry and Mutford Lock before heading back to the warm fug of Lowestoft North.

In the end, with the wind having died down, there was no flooding in Lowestoft for us to deal with. Good result.

It’s a shame to see some people say that it was a bit overkill of all the emergency services. Maybe. But I don’t think so.

On the best available predictions flooding was imminent. But the weather, and us Brits do like the weather, changed. The wind slackened off and flooding was averted by a matter of inches.

Our crews were ready, suited and booted, to be deployed immediately. We would have been on scene in Lowestoft within minutes, ready to get to work.

Not days. Not hours. But minutes.

Far better to have all those resources in place and prepared than to be on the back foot playing catch up.

A big thank you to Hampshire, East Sussex, Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, West Mids and all our other Fire Service colleagues for being there for Lowestoft and all along the Suffolk coast.

I know! It's been far too long since I posted anything on here about shouts.

No excuses really – work, life and couldn't be arsed all come into play.

So let's make amends now…

I was sitting chatting to the present Mrs. C, waiting the arrival of a health care professional to help us with Karen's ongoing care requirements. I won't bore you with the details suffice to say, if you don't already know, that Mrs. C broke her neck 27 years ago, uses a wheelchair to get about but leads a busy life that makes me knackered trying to keep up.

Enough of the back story.

So, with two minutes to go before the arrival of our 'guest' my little black number throws a wobbly and has me apologising profusely to The Boss before I head out the door and hot-foot it across to North Lowestoft Fire Station.

Archie, who's part of the South Lowestoft On Call crew is crossing the road with all his kit. To help keep pumps on the run, Archie has one of our alerters as his building work sees him working even closer to the fire station than me.

Just as we get in the front door the turn out alarm starts, changing what was obviously a standby into a turn out.

The incident is on Pinbush Road on the South Lowestoft Industrial Estate and it's now Make Pumps 3.

I'm driving and, as usual, it's an interesting drive through Oulton Broad negotiating the traffic and the drivers that seem blissfully unaware of the fourteen ton truck lit up like a Christmas tree and emitting a plethora of load noises – bull horn included. Such fun!

We pull up behind the two South Lowestoft pumps and immediately run hose from us to their second pump to supplement the water supply. They're using loads of water as the fire is well developed involving fuelled vehicles in a building and gas cylinders too. So hosereels, 45's and ground monitors are sending gallons upon gallons of water onto the fire.

Archie and I take our pump away to fill up at a hydrant that's not on the same main as that already being used. So, It's A Knockout style we rock up at a hydrant and set to to get the water into the tank as quick as possible and then back to the fire ground.

With plenty of hard work from the crews the fire was brought under control quickly.

It's interesting to note that today's fire may well reflect how things will be in Lowestoft if the proposed cuts to frontline fire engines goes ahead. At the time of the shout South Lowestoft were only able to crew one of their two pumps – that's why we were sent on the Make Pumps 3. But after the cuts, which I feel are inevitable, this is how it will be – only three fire engines in Lowestoft, not four.

Fire calls may well have dropped but the unique geography of Lowestoft, the large housing developments that are underway or planned plus the new wind farm business mean we're growing.

These cuts mean there's no spare capacity.

A person reported house fire gets three fire engines. That'll be all the fire engines in Lowestoft after the cuts. There'll be nothing left over for any incident – bin fire, RTC, whatever.

Sorry, I'm rambling. Told you it'd had been far too long since I posted anything. Think I just made up for that!

Just over three weeks ago we were all stunned and totally shocked to hear of the tragic and very untimely death of Firefighter Alan Soards.

Al had joined Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service as a wholetime firefighter back in 2001 – the year before I joined as a retained firefighter. Like me, Al was stationed at Normanshurst Fire Station in Lowestoft and our paths crossed many times in training and on shouts. 

He was a committed professional and would always put himself forward to be involved with anything to do with the Fire Service. Al joined the Marine Incident Response Group, ready to fight fires on ships out at sea. He joined the retained section at Normanshurst and got himself known and well-liked by all of our crew.

We teamed up to present Learn and Live, a hard-hitting road safety campaign targetting high school and college students. Al was central to delivering Learn and Live to literally thousands of young people. Reliving his own story of how he lost friends in an RTC made the message all the more powerful for these vulnerable and impressionable youngsters.

And so we found ourselves amongst hundreds of mourners at St. Andrews Church in Gorleston to celebrate and give thanks for Al's life and what he'd meant to all of us.

Firefighters and officers from across Suffolk lined the long sloping pathway to the entrance to St. Andrews Church. The chill northerly wind whipped around the churchyard making eyes stream and noses run. Eyes strained towards Lowestoft to get the first glimpse of the cortege. Time stood still. Al was running late – nothing new there…

And there it was. The vintage TL from Essex stopped a few hundred yards away for the transfer of the coffin from the hearse. The pall bearers mounted the side of the TL and Dale Wallace (a former colleague of Al's) played the bagpipes and led the cortege as it finished its journey to the church.

Over 200 firefighters were called to attention, heads bowed, ready for the procession to make its way through our ranks and into the church.

Members of Al's White Watch acted as pallbearers and also carried Al's helmet. And Al's dog, Tyson, was given pride of place in the procession too, proudly sporting a specially made SFRS coat.

The funeral service was both moving and, at times, light-hearted. Moving as we heard of how well-respected and loved Al was, how he would always help anyone and how he would be missed by his family and by that other family – everyone at Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service. Light-hearted as tales of Al's history of breaking things were recounted – as I'm sure they will be for many years to come.

In front of us we had a constant reminder of that 'other family' as standard bearers from all the other UK fire and rescue services filled each side of the church.

The most moving part of the service was the eulogy from Neil Henderson, Al's Watch Commander. Neil's words and recollections summed up Al to a 'T', were heartfelt and so easy to identify with for all the firefighters present.

And then it was over. The firefighters filed out of the church to once again line the path and bid Al farewell.

Those of us who served with Al in Lowestoft were invited to the Crematorium for the commital. Over forty firefighters formed up at attention as the cortege arrived.

After the short service we joined Al's family, friends and colleagues at the Wherry Hotel in Oulton Broad for the wake – a chance for everyone to chat and reminisce about Al and to catch up with old friends from across the Service and beyond.

Al Soards – gone but most definitely not forgotten…